Indholdsfortegnelse for 01/2023 i Beat English

Complete modular DAW Bitwig 8-Track 4.4 Bitwig has become a serious alternative to the top dog, Ableton Live. Hybrid tracks that can play both audio and MIDI, MIDI sequencers and operators you may know from Elektron gear, complex modulators and even an integrated modular system - these are just some of the features that make this DAW so unique. Bitwig 8-Track, which provides eight tracks with many of the DAW‘s features. Download: see page 9 | Info: www.bitwig.comwin | mac All serial numbers securely accessible: The Beat Serial Center To ensure that none of your serial numbers are lost in the future (for instance, in the event of a new installation, Outlook crash or disk crash), you can now conveniently manage them online. The advantages are obvious: The editorial team…

Real recordings bring life to any production, especially when it‘s made up of virtual sound generators and samples. Vocals, guitars, basses, drums and percussion and many other instruments have a lot of potential to enhance your tracks. In order to realize our own recording dreams in optimal quality, we first have to choose the right equipment. Which microphone type and model are right? And which setup is recommended within my budget? On the following pages, we would like to help you find answers to these questions and, if necessary, make upcoming purchasing decisions easier. In addition, we have numerous equipment recommendations for all applications between vocal and microphone recording as well as podcasting and streaming. The right signal chain makes the difference! The be-all and end-all for good recordings is…

www.tbone-mics.com Distribution: Thomann Price: 199 euros Clean recordings without background noise When recording in a home studio, it is important to minimize distracting noises such as the hiss of the PC fan or the reverberation of the room. The t.akustik Desktop Absorber 120 can be easily mounted and conveniently placed on the table to ensure clean recordings without ambient noise. The side panels can be variably adjusted for optimal optimization of the acoustics. Large-diaphragm condenser microphone The t.bone SC 420 USB microphone can be connected directly to your computer via USB. The recording is done with a sample rate of 48 kHz at 16 bit. Thanks to the headphone output, direct monitoring of the voice recording is possible. In addition to a foam windscreen, a pop filter and a spider,…

≫ What‘s the purpose of a pop filter when recording vocals? Trevor / If you‘re using a microphone for speech or vocals, a pop filter is an essential accessory. It‘s a simple device that helps reduce plosives („B“ and „P“) in your voice. These specific consonants cause excessive sound pressure that overloads the sensitive diaphragm of the capsule and ruins your recording with unpleasant „pops“. To be effective, the capsule should be placed between 10 and 15 cm from the microphone. The Sontronics STC-2, 20 and 3X packs all include a special pop filter that attaches to the shockmount and has the perfect distance from the microphone. ≫ What is the difference between dynamic microphones and condenser microphones? Trevor / Dynamic microphones, like the Sontronics SOLO and CORONA, use a…

MB 7, the broadcast specialist With the t.bone MB 7 Beta, the focus is clearly on broadcast-quality sound. Based on one of the most popular speaker microphones, the Shure SM7B, it uses a moving coil capsule to convert the sound and has a bracket mount so that it can also be attached to a tripod upside down. The well-made microphone is very flexible and can be rotated on two axes towards the speaker. This makes sense, since the cardioid polar pattern cannot be changed, and recording must be done from the front. The microphone is connected via the XLR connector on the bottom, where the USB version also has a USB connector and headphone jack. However, due to the lack of further setting options, USB should rather be seen as…

Concrete answers to the above question can be found only sporadically. On the Steve Hoffman forum, probably the biggest meeting place for audiophiles on the net, an insider reports about his own time in the business as follows: „I was present at songwriting sessions and you really need three or more people to get the songs you hear these days. It was sad and miserable. You can be sure of this: Not many of these ‘songwriters’ would be able to write a hit without at least one other person.“ [1] For the conservative elite, the development is evidence of a loss of creative potential. „Guess,“ Rolling Stone magazine recently asked its readers, „how many songs from last year‘s annual top 10 were written by a single songwriter*. None. And the…

Features Wavetable synthesizer 3 oscillators + noise FM-& AM, Sync 2 multi filters with morphing modmatrix 5 envelopes 2 LFOs VST3, AU, AAX Windows, macOS Facts Manufacturer: Universal Audio Web: uaudio.com Price: 199 euros (for Apollo & UAD), 19.99 euros/month (Spark subscription) Filter sound Filter morphing Synthesis variety no bitcrusher mono signal path to master few presets Alternatives Serum xferrecords.com 189 Euros Massive X nativeinstruments.com 199 Euros So much in advance: Opal can do a lot, even if the presets don‘t show that all of a sudden. On the other hand, there are some real gems that you won‘t find in any other synthesizer. The basis are three wavetable oscillators and noise as well as two multi-filters with drive and two master effects. So no magic so far. The oscillators…

Bedroom Producers Blog BPB Dirty LA Bedroom Producers Blog has released BPB Dirty LA, a free compressor plug-in. Dirty LA is inspired by classic limiting amplifiers like the legendary UA 1176LN, but without having a specific hardware unit as a role model. Rather, the developers were concerned with achieving the same musical and natural-sounding compression, coupled with clear operation. For the additional portion of dirt, a saturation algorithm from the Dirt plug-in from Bedroom Producers Blog was also integrated. In the default setting, Dirty LA demonstrates rather moderate sonic effects; with fast response time and low compression, the plug-in can, therefore, subtly compress almost any audio signal. In limiting mode, the attack time is shortened further and the compression is increased in order to safely catch signal peaks. For your…

Features Digital Synthesizer Wavetable/VA 8-Voice Polyphonic 37 Keys with Aftertouch 512-Step-Sequencer Arpeggiator 3 Effects Processors Joystick with Four Axes Facts Manufacturer: Modal Electronics Web: modalelectronics.com Distrib: Korg & More Price: 599 Euro High quality hardware Thoughtful operation Flexible Oscillators Vintage sound behavior Many filter types Drive/Distortion Improved effects Sequencer with 512 steps Advanced arpeggiator Alternatives ASM Hydrasynth From 549 Euro ashunsoundmachines.com Arturia MiniFreak 599 Euro www.arturia.com Korg Modwave / Minilogue XD From 565 Euro www.korg.de The shortage of chips and other components, coupled with difficult transport conditions and breakdowns due to illness have ensured that the flood of new launches in the synthesizer sector has ebbed considerably. In particular, the area of inexpensive analog synthesizers seems to be affected; here, even many previously released devices are no longer available or…

1 Which microphone? With their detailed and finely resolved sound, condenser microphones are the first choice when vocals or acoustic instruments need to be captured in all their nuances. Especially for powerful rock vocals or explosive raps, it is worth trying out high-quality dynamic models. Since they are designed for high sound pressure levels, they are also recommended for miking guitar and bass amplifiers and drums, or as vocal microphones on stage. 2 Which polar pattern? A switchable directionality makes the microphone‘s range of application more flexible. When recording solo singers, the cardioid pattern is usually selected, as it provides good rejection of rear noise. Supercardioid and hypercardioid offer an even narrower recording range if required. If you want to record several singers with one microphone, the omnidirectional pattern is recommended.…

Beat / How did you get into music and what socialized you musically? Joplyn / I have been singing ever since I can remember. At the age of five, like any other Asian child, I was sent to piano lessons to learn the pieces of classical music. The first songs I wrote were from poems I wrote first for school, but then primarily for myself. At some point - I think I was about eight years old - I had the idea of combining these poems with piano playing. At first, this turned into very abstract songs. Then I got more and more into it, and the abstract poems set to music became songs, accompanied on the piano. The electronic part came later, when I discovered GarageBand on my computer…

Even today, a new Pole album is an event. Almost a quarter of a century after his debut, which turned the music world upside down for a brief moment, Stefan Betke returns with what is already his second album in two years. And „Fading“ does not disappoint. It has everything that has made this project so recognizable and exciting ever since the early days: Warm bass loops, wondrous achords, and tiny particles of sound that come together in an inexplicable way to create a fascinating reimagining of everything you‘d expect from far more traditional music: melodies, harmonies, grooves, and thematic structures. The story about the broken Waldorf filter, which crackled and crackled merrily until Betke recognized rhythmic patterns in it somewhat by chance, went around the world at the time.…

GForce Oddity 3 GForce Software is known for their meticulous attention to detail in the virtual recreation of hardware; just think of their emulations of Moog, Oberheim, Mellotron and even the ARP Odyssey. Here, however, the Brits also show themselves open to improvements; in the case of the Oddity, the duophonic analog synthesizer classic can also be played polyphonically in digital form or morph between patches. Sound-wise, Oddity was already one of the most successful replicas of the Odyssey in its previous versions, which is why the update mainly focuses on its operation. The interface is now freely scalable and can, therefore, also be used on modern monitors with high resolution and without a magnifying glass. The browser has also been completely redesigned and the factory library, which has been…

» Do you have a clear vision, in advance, of how a new album should sound? « » Apparat / Initially, there are always big concepts. For my current album “LP5”, the concept was to create the greatest possible distance from our Moderat project. It always comes out different than you intend for it to be. You have to go with it. If you fight too much, you kill the essence. That‘s why the plans you had in the beginning always dilute after a while and the relationship between the songs is more likely to come from the sound design. In my song folder, there are a lot of basic ideas that you could easily turn in to rocksongs. It‘s only the electronici arrangements that give my songs that “Apparat feeling”.…

Mode Audio Fresh Air A soothing mix of Ambient sound collages and nature sounds are presented by Mode Audio‘s Fresh Air sounds. The 828 MB are composed of loops with basses (11), drums & percussion (16), synthesizers (48), instruments (38) and 18 noise textures. The 96 MIDI clips are helpful for producing your own soundscapes. Lovely bells and soothing mallet and piano sounds line the instruments. The field recordings featuring animal sounds and weather scenarios are also very nice. Pleasant piano riffs and synthesizer sounds frame the drones. The percussive elements are unusual, but impressive and well suited for cinematic purposes. Much more monotonous are the noise textures, which range from filtered wind effects to tape noise. Verdict When it comes to combining ambient nature sounds with electronic textures, Fresh…

Features Controller with slim-key keyboard; 25 Keys with velocity sensitivity 8 Pads with RGB LEDs 8 Encoders, 4 fader OLED display with encoder Arp/Chord USB-C Port DIN-MIDI-Output Facts Manufacturer: Arturia Web: arturia.com Distrib: Tomeso Price: 99 Euro Encoders and faders OLED display Good slim keyboard Multicolor drum pads MIDI output Chord+Arpeggiator DAW integration Analog Lab V Alternatives Novation Launchkey mini 86 Euro novationmusic.com Akai MPK mini About 86 Euro akai-pro.de NI Komplete M32 109 Euro native-instruments.com At first glance, the reduction to 8 instead of 16 endless encoders is noticeable, but there are now 4 additional faders. We like this mixture, because volumes and envelopes can often be adjusted more easily with faders than with encoders. A more than welcome addition is the small but sharp LED display, which can…

Let‘s get right into the thick of things: The seven voices are hardwired with four different algorithms. Drums 1-3 are optimized for kicks and percussion, the others for snare, clap/cymbal and two hi-hats. There are also some ROM samples in the memory, but they can only be used as transients; everything else is generated synthetically. The operation by way of the two-line LED display seems a bit oldschool and requires a bit of concentration at the beginning, especially when switching between editing and performance, but it goes quickly. On the one hand, there is a button for each section of the drums, so you don‘t have to scroll through endless menus; on the other hand, the parameters are always divided into clear blocks of four. In short: a bit old-fashioned,…

Beat / Hi Daniel, straight into the thick of things: Let us know why you built and set up your studio the way you did? Daniel / I have a fairly compact setup for space reasons. I used to have a lot more gear, but now I‘m more comfortable producing with VST plug-ins. In my early days, I also had a Kawai K4R, Alesis Airsynth, MC303, Yamaha RM1x, MikroKorg and a Volca Bass. But due to the last move, I became a bit more compact and finally also replaced the Beat Thang sampler with the AKAI Force. My focus is clearly on the computer as a production center. Beat / What tip can you give to other readers, what trap should they not fall into (when building studios or gear…

Calibrate speakers for free with IK Multimedia For the adjustment of the recently released iLoud Precision speaker series, the manufacturer IK Multimedia donates the associated software X-Monitor. On the one hand, this allows the iLoud Precision 5, iLoud Precision 6 and the iLoud Precision MTM subwoofer to be calibrated for room correction. On the other hand, the frequency spectrum and phase response of more than 20 other well-known monitors can also be reproduced. With X-Monitor, it should be possible to display the frequency response curves before and after correction to get precise details about the room acoustics. The frequency response curves can also be saved. Functions and settings of the optional hardware remote control can be managed. Diagnostics and firmware updates to ensure optimal system performance are also provided. The…

≫ How can you support singers in recording vocals? André / What you should never forget is that the best miking is useless if the vocals themselves leave something to be desired. It is very important that the artists hear themselves and the playback well. He or she must feel comfortable singing. Good headphones are a must, such as the RØDE NTH-100, designed specifically for studio musicians. And you should take enough time to adjust the headphone mix perfectly. And another special case: There are≫ indeed good, experienced live singers who find it difficult to use a condenser microphone in the studio - simply because it is unfamiliar. It often helps to hand them a dynamic vocal microphone and let them sing as if they were on stage. Ideal for…

≫ How should the recording room be prepared for vocal recording? Lukas / A dry and direct sound is definitely important when it comes to modern vocal recordings. Ideally without significant resonances or interference. Vocals with room content certainly make sense for classical or acoustic recordings, but then you need a good-sounding recording room. That means that for modern sound we need absorption above all, which ideally covers the entire frequency spectrum of the voice. You can work with gobos in larger rooms or you can make sure that the room in which you are recording is appropriately absorbent, but you need a lot of material for that. ≫ What acoustic properties should a room have for instrument recordings? Lukas / That‘s a completely different thing. Of course, I can…

≫ How can professional vocal recordings be made in the home studio? Martin / The position and distance to the microphone are the be-all and end-all. With a cardioid pattern (e.g. Lewitt LCT 440 Pure), a distance of 15-30 cm is optimal. The greater the distance, the thinner the voice sounds and you get stronger room noise. The closer, the fuller the sound and bass frequencies are boosted, but there may be a lack of definition (proximity effect). A pop filter helps keep the distance constant and removes unpleasant pop noise. The input level should still remain in the green range at louder parts (about -10 to 12 dB LUFS), overloads cannot be removed afterwards! The room in which the recording is made has the greatest influence on the quality…

Further info: Info at: www.bitwig.com License & password: www.serialcenter.de REGISTRATION & INSTALLATION The registration of Bitwig 8-Track is done - as usual with our software highlights - via our www.serialcenter.de. After registering the details from the current Beat edition, you will receive an email containing your Serial Number for 8-Track. You can register this number in your account at www.bitwig.com and then download 8-Track. After starting Bitwig, you should also install the Essential Package for the perfect start. 1 Operators Operators can be used in Bitwig to make simple one-bar MIDI loops exciting over a longer period of time. For our example, load a Drum Rack by going to the INST1 track and clicking on the cross in the lower area. In the browser, select the Presets tab at the top,…

Strymon BigSky The hardware version of the BigSky is probably one of the most popular effects pedals for synthesizers. The blue pedal is used in almost every other YouTube jam and review video. And anyone who has tried the digital reverb algorithms for themselves will understand the enthusiasm: There are very few reverb effects that blend as perfectly with synth pads and ambient pads as BigSky! And although BigSky can create subtle realistic spaces, as well as flashy and huge space and shimmer effects for sound design, the effect never seems forced and still leaves enough room for the original sound. This distinguishes BigSky, for example, from the Valhalla effects, which are also very recommendable in principle, but whose special character is quite concise and can overwhelm the mix if…

Features FM groovebox with OPL3 soundblaster chip 6 Drum tracks 4 Synth tracks with up to 4 OP 56 Faders 32 Illuminated switches 100 Kits 160 Songs x 16 patterns x 64 steps Facts Manufacturer: Twisted Electrons Web: twisted-electrons.com Distribution: Sonic Sales Price: 599 euros Direct operation Characteristic sound Drum & synth tracks Flexible sequencer Fully MIDI controllable 4 individual outputs No panning per track Alternatives Elektron Model:Cycles/Digitone from 339 euros www.elektron.se Roland TR-6S/8S from 399 euros www.yamaha.de Erica Synths LXR-02 578 euro www.ericasynths.lv Blast Beats‘ sound generation is based on the old Yamaha OPL3 chip (YMF262). This chip is a complete FM synth with a large number of customizable parameters, but at the time they were only accessible to programming geeks. With Blast Beats it‘s different: With lots of…

Test: Arturia MiniFreak The MicroFreak was a huge success, but not everyone got along with limited paraphony and Buchla-style touch keyboard. The MiniFreak has a keyboard with 37 slim keys, is 6-voice polyphonic and offers two digital engines instead of one. The hybrid construction with analogue filter has remained, as has the extensive sequencer, which is directly accessible thanks to additional buttons. Still, you have to do without the polyphonic aftertouch, vocoder, CV/gate outputs and wavetable engine of the MicroFreak. Interview: Christian Hornbostel What do techno and alchemy have to do with each other? In the next issue, the successful German producer Christian Hornborstel will tell us as much about this as about his preference for Latin titles, woodcuts and old multi-effect processors. Of course, we will also talk in…